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I am absolutely terrified today after seeing my consultant. I had gastric sleeve surgery 26/07/2022 not for weight loss but to remove a stomach tumour. January this year I started getting stabbing pains under my left rib but wasn't really having any nausea, sickness or difficulty eating and drinking. After a CT scan in May and an endoscopy in August they found my stomach is strictured/stenosis. Today my consultant has told me the only option is to remove my stomach fully and sew my esophagus to my bowel. He said stretching it is not an option. I have an odd feeling (numerous reasons why) that they botched my operation and are trying to skirt around it. My consultant and surgeon keep changing the story. Like only an insignificant amount of stomach was removed. Then it was a full gastric sleeve performed. Then only a tiny amount removed again. Then the tumour was a GIST (sarcoma cancer). Then its just a benign tumour caused by pancreas cells. I've never known such confusing, arrogant, unsympathetic and clueless consultants and surgeons before - they're very worrying. Especially considering my surgeon is also doing private work for Spire. I'm absolutely broken. Any advice or anyone that has had a similar experience would be appreciated. As a side note this hospital in Liverpool has now given me a fear of hospitals. I was put on an oncology ward which I've been in before in a different hospital. I've always been a regular at hospitals over the last 20 years with pulmonary embolisms, 2 cancer scares, chronic illnesses etc and its always been a pleasant stay (even after surgeries) and a bit of a break and a chance to get some rest as I have 3 children. While in this new hospital after surgery it was like a third world hospital. I was lay in someone elses stale urine for a week before they agreed to change my putrid mattress. I caught scabies on my arm and oral thrush that spread to my esophagus and lungs. There was no shower so I had to wash myself daily in the sink. Finally they allowed me to use the mens shower as there was no womens shower which was literally just a shower cubicle with a door leading onto the corridor, nowhere to hang your towel or clothing and due to a blocked drain the floor/tray was flooded so my feet were in stagnant water along with my towel and clothing on a carrier bag on the floor/tray. By the end of my shower everything was soaking wet so I had to "get dry" with a wet towel and put on wet pyjamas before going to my bed and putting the curtain around to get properly dry and changed again. I had pneumothoraxes under my diaphragm and collar bone but was given the wrong and tiniest amount of pain relief. I was left to withdraw from my daily medication that I've taken for 5 years and left writhing in agony with the gas pain, pneumothoraxes, parasthesia and an intense burning sensation through my veins along with a massive headache, vomiting and aversion to light. No one would listen to me to help me to get my pain level under control and I could go on and on about the lack of care and the feeling of death and impending doom on this ward.

My advice is not to think in terms of "being on a diet" but in terms of "what does healthy eating look like." I know at least for myself, I've spent so many years counting calories or doing fad diets, and I'm burnt out on the tracking and the counting, and feeling deprived and waiting for it to be "over." What I've started doing instead is focusing on what healthy eating really looks like and trying to choose mostly the good things and eliminating the bad things. For example, I've started having a smoothie every morning with 2 oz spinach, plain Greek yogurt, unsweetened almond milk, frozen fruit, chia, flax, and hemp seeds, and protein powder. I know that everything in it is great for fueling my body and I feel good about drinking it. At lunch, I have a massive salad. Like, I bought a serving bowl and I fill it to the top with spring mix, spinach, shredded carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, beets, and mushrooms. I put about 3oz chick peas and black beans on it, and 2-3 oz lean deli meat, plus a Tbsp each of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and sliced almonds. I top it with a freshly squeezed lemon and Tuscan seasoning blend instead of dressing. I'll be honest, the thing is so filling I barely have room for dinner. I do eat dinner, but it's light and mostly protein and veg. Since I've started doing that and gotten all the snacks out of the house (no more buying pretzels, crackers, and other easy carbs or sweets) and only allowing myself fruit or nuts for a snack, I haven't really felt hungry at all, and I haven't been craving junk like I used to. I've also cut back on caffeine and stopped drinking diet sodas. I started making these changes in July and I'm down almost 15lbs without having to write down everything I do, because it's mostly the same every day. For me, this is something I can keep up long term as long as I am mindful of what I allow myself to bring into the house. Give yourself time, you can do it!

No I haven't I am just on the first step to get scheduled for my surgery so right now I am doing WW trying to lose the 15lbs and then keep it off till surgery. I am doing a good job of trying to mirror the bariatric diet with lots of protein so the hunger isn't there its the crazy cravings. I like to have a cocktail or two every night and I have stopped drinking so I am missing that part.

I feel your pain...the water consumption along with the waiting before and after eating makes it a chore trying to get the large amount of liquids in..especially because I'm not thirsty. I keep waiting for the intolerance to foods, the feeling of full (yes, I'm aware it takes months for the nerves to regenerate to fill "full") something that would keep me from wanting to eat other than I didn't go through all this to not lose weight. Add on top of that I've not lost any weight for 10 days - I've about had enough! Yes, I'm getting my protein in, no I'm not over eating (1/4 cup max each meal 2 meals with one high protein shake) its just stuck! I know I'm supposed to let the program work..but hey!! I'm doing my part..when does it do its part? 😋 So, yeah I feel your pain!

5'3" woman here and I'm maintaining on 1200 calories per day, and that's with at least 90 minutes of cardio per day. I can relate to the feeling of shock about having to stick to such a low calorie count forever because I wanted to cry when my surgeon estimated that my maintenance calories would be around 1200-1400, maybe 1500 if I worked out a lot. Being short is a real drag. So as I see it, you have a few options (which you can mix and match to find a balance that works for you): Adopt and maintain eating habits that keep your calories low. I have found some go-to low-calorie foods that allow me to keep a low calorie intake without making me feel too deprived because I enjoy what I'm eating. 3 years out from surgery, my restriction isn't what it was immediately post-op, but it still helps, especially when I'm filling up on salads and other low-calorie veggies. Increase your exercise. Unfortunately, that doesn't help a whole lot because diet contributes far more to weight management than exercise, but for me, increasing my exercise from 60 minutes/day to 90 minutes/day allows me to maintain about 5 pounds lower with the same number of calories. Accept a higher maintenance weight. A lot of people get way too focused on a number on the scale as their goal/maintenance weight. The number on the scale, or your BMI, doesn't tell the whole story. You list your goal weight as 140 pounds, but if you are satisfied with your health, quality of life, and appearance at 150 pounds, maybe that should be your goal weight, and you can maintain that with slightly higher calories than 140.

There's a point where you may need to do some of your own research and make decisions that are right for YOUR body, because I agree with the sentiments shared above that the person telling you don't drink protein shakes this early in your recovery is useless. There may be people out there who can hit 80g of protein on whole food when they're only able to eat 1/2 a cup at a time, but I definitely wasn't one of them. I still have to eat a bar or two to fully reach 80g of protein and I am two years out. That's ludicrous.

I had this happen (I'm an inch shorter than you and at one point had gotten down to 91 pounds, unfortunately.). My situation was caused by an autoimmune condition; among other things it made it so that my enlarged spleen was pushing against my sleeve, reducing my capacity to nearly nothing. It was awful because I could FEEL that I was hungry and I wasn't able to eat. I ended up resorting to, at my dietitian's advice, drinking part of a shake intended for people needing to GAIN weight (Ensure Complete, I think is what it's called, the bottles have about 300 calories). As I am someone who gets dumping syndrome, I had to break it up into very small portions (about 1/3 of the bottle) and I would drink that portion 30 minutes after my meals. It helped; I'm back up to 103 now which is where I feel most comfortable. Another really dense food that shouldn't mess with your blood sugar or macros would be peanut butter. It's one of the highest calorie things you can eat, but it's also full of healthy fats and protein, especially if you choose a low sugar variety. I know it's hard, and it's a hard thing to talk about to most people because no one really understands how distressing it is to suddenly find yourself underweight when you spent years struggling to lose (I got a lot of "Exactly why are you complaining?" even from people who meant well.). You're not alone. I know it's a real problem that is really upsetting, and it's OK to have feelings about it.

Shakes will likely be there for a bit of time. Protein water also helps meeting both liquid and protein goals. It can seem difficult at first, but honestly it's how you work it. I put a tbsp or 2 of cottage cheese into my 1 scrambled egg. Keeps the eggs soft enough and adds additional protein. Unflavored protein to lentil or black bean soups. Ricotta bake. Protein pudding. Depends on your protein goals you are trying to meet. I would only have 1 protein shake a day, the rest came from foods.

So it looks like your question was added in as a tag. 'I am 3 weeks post op and it is really hard to get in protein I was reaching out to see if there is any type of hacks on how to get it down I have the powder kind also can someone explain to me what will happen if I’m not getting enough protein in There are a variety of ways to get it down. Make it as is and break it down to half a shake twice a day. Make it more liquidy and sip on it throughout the day. Use unflavored protein powder and sprinkle it into other foods, such as broth or applesauce. Try protein water which is thinner and comes in a many fruity flavors so it's not just the milky stuff. You can also boost the protein in yogurt with adding protein powder. If you don't get in enough protein, you run the risk of losing muscle and not just fat. Losing muscle can also slow down weight loss. Also leaves you with less energy. Even though hair shedding is par for the course, having enough protein can lessen the shed and support healthy regrowth. It can be difficult to meet the protein goals in the beginning, just try to focus on getting better day by day.

i bought an expensive unflavored protein powder and believe me, you do not want to add it to plain water!!! YUCK!!!

we were told we could drop protein shakes once we were able to eat enough to meet the protein requirements (of course, this is assuming we always put "protein first" while eating). It could be that you may be have to keep up with the shakes longer than some.

Protein

If you are at 1000 calories now, 1500 would be an additional 50% of calories. If you look at it like that, it's a lot more than what you're eating now! It's like going to work and getting a 50% raise! You just have to make sure you choose wisely how to spend those extra calories. I'm on the other end of things, waiting for surgery and working on improving my nutrition in the meantime. Honestly, one of the biggest things that has helped me in the past few months has been following the advice in Dr. Weiner's A Pound of Cure book. I had gotten into some really bad habits, like white toast for breakfast and a sandwich with lots of cheese and mayo for lunch, and I was constantly hungry and snacking on pretzels and other simple carbs, or candy (my biggest weakness). I hardly ever got much protein or veg and fruit. In July, after my doctor recommended surgery, I bought the Pound of Cure book and made the decision to incorporate a pound of veggies every day into my diet, and to follow the other guidelines as I was able. I stopped buying the junk food and reduced my dairy and wheat intake significantly, plus eliminated all artificial sweeteners and most added sugars. Now I have a smoothie in the morning that has just under 400 calories and 40g of protein in it, and gives me 2-3oz of spinach. At lunch, I make a salad that is around 450 calories with 30g of protein and literally weighs more than a pound of veg, beans, and seeds. I usually add a couple ounces of smoked salmon or turkey breast, but I've been skipping the dressing in favor of lemon juice and a spice blend. I usually have around a 400 calorie dinner that is mostly protein plus 4oz or more of veg, and I'll have some fruit or nuts if I need a snack. This stuff is so much more filling than my pieces of toast with butter or my sandwich ever was that I find I'm really not that hungry much of the time. In fact, I feel like I'm eating way more, and I'm not craving snacks the way I did, yet I'm rarely above 1500 calories on a regular day. So if you choose wisely, you will be amazed at the volume of food you can consume for under 1500 calories. I know I've been really surprised by it, and I've managed to lose around 15 pounds in 2 months without really feeling deprived. I know for me the biggest risk would be to fall back into the old habits, so I'm trying to keep things as simple as I can to make it less likely. But not feeling hungry all the time really makes a difference.

How many grams of protein has your dietician advised you have per day? I find it easy to add a scoop of the tasteless protein powder to the shakes. It does help. Baked Beans slide down easily enough at this stage too.

Finally got another referral to a dietician as my Surgeon doesn't offer a dietician after surgery, but couldn't get an appointment to see her until Oct. 19th. Really not happy with my aftercare after this surgery. If I had known that after surgery I would basically be on my own, I would have chosen another Doctor. I am happy that I didn't have to do the long process to get surgery and that it went fine and so far no complications but otherwise the Doctor sucks. I am still basically eating only turkey or chicken and trying to get in a little bit of vegetables, I am supplementing with a green powder drink in the morning. Eating has lost all enjoyment now and I know that I can't do this long term as it's not healthy to only eat protein. I am just waiting until my appointment to change what I am eating now.

I'm a year out from my surgery and at my last dietitian meeting we discussed maintenance calories which I have been looking forward to that discussion for forever but I was really shocked and I can't believe I didn't know this after all of my research before and after surgery. He said my calorie goals for life should be between 1300 and 1500 and I had no idea that was going to be so low. I honestly went into surgery thinking that the average calories a person eats is 2000 so I must be eating 3000 or more to be so over weight and I just needed to get back to normal. I thought that I would be able to use the surgery and lack of hunger to eat super low calories and lose the weight and since month 3 I've been at 1000 a day. My hunger is back and 1000 is a struggle now and I'm using all my years of diet experience to fill up on low calorie food as well as hitting all my protein and water goals. I thought that soon I'll be able to eat more so it's just a temporary situation, but now I'm worried about long term success. If I'm hungry at 1000, I don't think 300 more calories is really going make a huge difference. So now I'm wondering if the reason why so many people gain the weight back after surgery is because to keep it off we have to keep our calories so low forever? Also, why do we have to keep our calories so low? Why is the average calories 2000 but for bariatric patients 1300 to 1500 is the goal? I always thought that anything under 1500 wasn't a safe number but when I asked my dietitian all of these questions he didn't know. He just knew that to maintain the weight loss, that's the normal goal and that if I wanted to eat more I could exercise more. So did everyone else know that the calories after surgery were going to be low for life and I just somehow missed this important fact? Anyone know why our average doesn't match the so called normal average? I was really excited to be close to goal but now I'm scared because I can see now how easily it can all go away.

Hello Everyone! I’m getting ready to start soft foods and I’m worried about getting enough protein in. 2 protein shakes a day is the only reason I even get close but it’s hard to imagine being able to eat enough protein with such small portions. How does everyone manage?

Thanks for your replies. I had a sleeve on 13/9. I promise I don’t mean to gulp, I just did it instinctively and I could. I then started to worry I could. I have no issue with cold water. Still on protein shakes so not sure if eating will make me feel full, just worried that water seems easy?!

My program is; 1.Clear fluids (1–2 days while in hospital) 2.Full fluids (2 weeks) 3.Pureed diet (2–4 weeks) 4.Soft diet (2–4 weeks) 5.Regular diet Full fluids after the hospital stay are defined as; Blended broth/cream-based soups (no chunks) Cooked cereal, thinned with milk (e.g. cream of wheat) Milk or alternatives (e.g. soy, almond, rice milk) Low-fat, sugar-free pudding Vegetable juice Low-fat, sugar-free yogurt Protein shakes/powder 70-100g protein daily 

This is wild to me, I was just in Denver, but I only had a tea a Starbucks. I do live in Corporate's home state so maybe that is why we have more options. Their website does say they have sugar-free white chocolate sauce, which is what OP needs if they want the modified drink to have the same consistency. I did notice the menu of the Starbucks in Denver I was at was very limited, they only had two tea options. Oh and when I say very, very small town I mean 7,000 ppl.

Hello everyone I was just sleeved 9/19/23. Currently in the liquid diet stage. I am drinking a protein shake. And really not getting enough liquids so I’m working on that, but what can we have? Broth, sf jello, water, but I see some people saying they are eating pudding and yogurt? Is that allowed?

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Hi all, sorry I'm new to this, looking for advice. I am just under 2 weeks post surgery and feeling fine. I don't feel hungry so living on protein shakes. I am a little worried though as I can gulp water (also a glass at once!). Is there anyone else that could do that? just worried my sleeve isn't small enough or not working? Am I over worrying?? Thank you

I started drinking caffeine again around 2 months...once I established good eating and drinking routines (making protein and fluid goals). I spoke with my nutritionist about it and he said not to count the caffeine beverages towards my overall fluid goal.